What was the beginning and cause for esoteric societies?

[Nungali]

3 hours ago, Taomeow said:

It may be different for different kinds of secret societies.  

 

For some I think the origins are purely biological.  Many animals hide in secrecy under particular circumstances.  E.g. when giving birth to their offspring -- this is a very vulnerable moment, both for the mother and the newborn, and the first secret societies must have been formed around a young pregnant woman and her helpers -- mother, grandmother, sisters, aunts.  Those who could help and not mess things up.  In tribal societies this custom survived into modernity and up to the destruction of traditional life: women involved secluded themselves in secret places, men were absolutely excluded for a period of time.  (An aside: I find the artificially made up custom, a few decades old, of the father being present when the woman is in labor, absolutely insane.  Unfair to the father who is prompted and coached as to what he is expected to feel, what he isn't supposed to feel...  this is always destructive for the genuine feelings.  Unfair to the mother who is suddenly a show, a performance -- while in the midst of the single most genuine experience of her life.  Ugh.)

 

I agree with you here . part of my hospital duties when I worked there was in the labor ward . many a story was told about idiot fathers being present . After one  difficult birth the father approached the doctor with his first question about how to deal with this new situation that would totally change both of their lives ;   .....    wait for it  .....

 

( I might box it as some might not 'get' the doctors cutting sense of humor ) 

 

Spoiler

" How long after  a woman giving birth  should the husband wait to resume sexual activities ?"

 

Oooooo !  the look on some of the nurses faces !    The doctor calmly and casually  and in professional  manner  stated :

" It is customary  to wait until at least the afterbirth is delivered ."

 

very straight faces ... barely ... all round . The husband looked extremely embarrassed .

 

He became a popular doctor with the staff .

 

 

A different kind of secret societies I believe were born of "civilization" which bred inequality which brought about criminality.  For criminal minded societies, esotericism was a mask to wear, a veil to hide behind.  Scare the shit out of everybody, exaggerate your power, put on a show, intimidate... that kind of stuff.  

 

 And some are just plain evil  ;  KKK  SS  etc .

 

And a still different kind -- truly esoteric, in touch with the invisible worlds, subtle energies, spirits, entities of power, both benevolent and malevolent.  This must often (more often than not) be kept secret from the uninitiated for the same reason we don't give matches to children.   

 

Yes .... but it has not stopped the bigger children playing with the bigger matches

 

 

 

 

Edited June 27 by Nungali

[Taomeow]

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Edited June 28 by Taomeow

[Talking Monkey]

To preserve and pass on uncommon knowledge and abilities to the worthy - as defined by the societies. The evil ones work in secret to manifest their aims while keeping the masses ignorant. The good ones work in secret to limit infiltration and destruction by evil - and do good works without the evil ones knowing. Over time, each waxes and wanes in temporal power and influence. Or something like that.

[Cadcam]

Right, they're doing something that others disagree with, or they have information that is valuable. The esoteric societies we can purchase today are crap.

[silent thunder]

27 minutes ago, Cadcam said:

Right, they're doing something that others disagree with, or they have information that is valuable. The esoteric societies we can purchase today are crap.

are you certain?

perhaps you've just not uncovered the pearl...

[Cadcam]

Yup, pretty certain.